Lost Regrets
by wyredsisters
Summary: Harry, after killing Voldemort, cuts off all contact with the wizarding world for seven years. He returns after hearing about Hermione's wedding to... somebody. Can he reclaim the woman he loves? Can he fix the relationships he abandoned? HG RL HD
1. Chapter 1

A/N: We have a future fic! Ain't it grand! And all those who do not like ships that are not very obvious, you should be wary of this fic. You've been warned.

Disclaimer: To sue or not to sue, that is the question. Whether 'tis nobler to accept that I am not J.K. Rowling, or 'tis better to sue for the money... Your call.

Second A/N: So while rereading this story, Ruthie came to me and said, "Did you know that our story is confusing?" So, I believe I made it less confusing. I kind of explained what was going on, but in doing that I might have made it really confusing. So read it, tell me if it's better or worse.

Chapter 1

"Excuse me, officer. Can you help me?" said a small voice.

A black haired man sitting at a computer desk froze, after he heard the voice. He pivoted in his chair slowly, afraid of who might be there, but it was only a undersized man, possibly about twenty six.

"Yes, I can," he replied after a moment.

"I'm Jeremy Pritchard." Jeremy paused, taking a deep breath. "I need your help."

This police officer, who was not unused to hearing this, turned off the monitor on his computer and pulled out a pen and pad of paper. "Take your time," he comforted, pen in position to write.

"Well, it's my... my friend. I've gone over to ring the doorbell at least ten times a day and she hasn't answered it."

"Has she been missing for twenty for hours?" Harry suddenly feeling that this was going to be a stupid case. His girlfriend probably just didn't answer the phone or something. Can't really blame her for leaving this guy.

"I haven't seen her for a week. And when I went to her house the other day... I... I saw something really strange."

The man sighed. Probably wasn't going to be very interesting at all. "What was it?" he said, feigning interest.

"It was... a floating skull," Jeremy said hesitantly.

The police officer froze, pen shaking slightly in his hand. "A floating skull," he repeated.

"I'm not crazy," Jeremy stated, letting no doubt be left.

"I know. Tell me, did you go inside?" he asked, leaning closer to the young man.

"No. I was too afraid."

"Good," Harry Potter said. "Good."

"So this boy says he sees a floating skull over a house and we go to check it out?" Ethan Wayne asked Harry as their car pulled to a stop in front of the house. "I just think he's insane."

"You think everyone's insane," Harry said, stepping out and slamming the door. Harry had always had a great deal of respect for his partner of two years, but he was a little cynical.

"Look, there's no floating skull now. His girlfriend probably just is avoiding him, or something. Let's just go," Ethan complained, following Harry up the front steps.

Harry knocked on the door. "I just have a hunch on this one, okay?" He knocked again.

"All I know is, things don't float unless there's wires holding it up. Unless of course somebody came around with a magic wand and did a spell."

Harry froze and looked at Ethan. "Don't be ridiculous," he said after a moment, before kicking the door down.

Harry went in first, his gun held in front of him. But he was sure it would probably be useless. Ethan followed him, his gun out. Together they searched the house and found nothing until the last room. Ethan slowly pushed the door open, and Harry turned to look into it his gun in front of him.

Before them they saw the limp body of a girl in her mid twenties. She was sprawled across the bed, her eyes filled with terror. There was no blood, or obvious sign of death, except for her face was a pale white. Harry closed his eyes for a moment willing the seen before him to change. He knew what had caused it. The killing curse.

Ethan walked forward toward the girl put two fingers against he neck and confirmed what Harry already knew. "She's dead," Ethan said shortly.

Harry nodded, his eyes never leaving her. "I figured as much. She looks vaguely familiar."

Ethan paused for a moment, as though he forgot what he was about to say, but soon he spoke. "We've gotta call this in,"

"Okay," Harry replied still looking at her, a mixture of feelings flowing through him.

"I'll go do that," said Ethan. Harry still stared. "Are you alright man? You've never acted like this around a body before."

"I'm fine," said Harry his voice hollow. Ethan turned to return to the car.

Harry slowly went forward to sit on the bed next to the body. He had killed Voldemort, he told himself. He killed him seven years ago. But he remembered what someone had told him. "_It will take at least a few years to get all the Death Eaters unified again." _That cold, cruel voice that haunted his dreams spoke of what the Death Eaters would do when reunited. That voice had been the last Harry had heard at Hogwarts.

Harry got up and angrily kicked a wall, cursing. He should have known. He should have known running away wouldn't do anything. Now this young girl had been hurt. And who knew what else had happened back in London.

"Potter! Wayne! Get in here!" shouted the Lieutenant from his office. Harry and Ethan came in sheepishly, and stood near the door.

The Lieutenant, from behind his desk, held up a slip of paper. "Did I read this report incorrectly, or did you two decide to go gallivanting of on a case that I didn't assign you again?"

"Neither, Sir" said Ethan. "You see, we didn't go on a case, because a case is something assigned by you. You didn't know about it yet, so we didn't go on a case, we went to investigate a murder."

"Are you being smart with me, Wayne?" said the Lieutenant. Lieutenant Jones was a man of medium height and in his mid forties. He was partially bald, and he always seemed to be in a bad mood.

"No, sir. Wouldn't dream of it, sir."

"Good. As it is, you will be working on the Henderson case that I assigned you last week."

"Actually, sir," spoke Harry for the first time since they entered the room. "I would like to take this case."

"You are in no position to be making requests, Potter."

"I understand that, sir, but it is really important to me that I get this case." _I might die of guilt if I don't,_ Harry thought to himself, but decided not to say that out loud. It would cause too many questions.

Lieutenant paused. "Alright, Potter, you can take this case. Just you."

Both Harry and Ethan froze. "Just him?" asked Ethan the same time Harry said, "Just me?"

The Lieutenant nodded. "You two have been partners for two years. I want to see what you do when you work alone. Dismissed."

"Hey, Bob," said Harry casually at lunch.

"Hi, Harry," said Bob a short and awfully round police officer. He had always reminded Harry of Neville Longbottom, but less scatterbrained. Not for the first time in the seven years it had been since he had seen him, Harry felt a pang in his chest. He missed Neville.

"How are the wedding preparations coming?" Harry asked, swallowing a lump in his throat. If the Death Eaters were out killing people again, who's to say that Neville wasn't dead? Harry pushed that to the back of his mind. He couldn't go back to London to check. He just couldn't.

"They're a nightmare. Flowers, food, guests, place, time, rehearsal dinner, after party. And of course Carol wants to get married in the most complicated place I can thing of."

"Where's that?"

"On a roof of a building in London," Bob replied.

"I'm still invited right?" asked Harry unwrapping his ham sandwich, trying not to make a strange face at the thought of going to London. _You might as well,_ said a nagging voice in the back of his head, but Harry dismissed it. After everything he had done, he couldn't go back.

"Of course. We're thinking of doing March eighth."

"That's still two months away,"

"I met this lady in a flower shop buying flowers for her nieces wedding and their doing it in a castle."

"Which castle?" asked Harry automatically. _No,_ he thought.

"I can't remember it was a funny name though. Pig something."

Harry immediately tensed. "Could it have been hog instead of pig." _No, no, no._

"Yeah," said Bob thoughtfully, "It could have been."

"Do you remember the name of the bride or the groom?" asked Harry urgently. _Please, Merlin, no._

"I can't remember the groom's name except that it was really odd. But the brides name was Hermione Granger."

A/N: Review if you like it. Review of you hate it. Review if you don't care. Just review if you read it. Well, you could review if you didn't read it. Just read it.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N:  Next chapter!  YAY!  It starts out as a flashback in case your confused.

Disclaimer:  Copyright, oh, copyright.  Wherefore art thou, copyright.  Deny us privileges and refuse us money, or if thou shall not then we'll no longer be... GAH!  I got so far.  Oh well, don't sue us.

Chapter 2

"Harry, you don't have to do this," Ginny said, her chocolate eyes tearing up.  The sight made me want to cry myself.  "You can wait.  You could get him when he's not expecting it.  You could-"

"No.  If I don't do it now, more people will die," I said bluntly.  It was the truth after all.  The prophecy said so.  Hogwarts was under attack.  Some Slytherins, probably lead by Draco Malfoy, had helped sneak them into Hogwarts slowly.  How they kept it secret, I didn't know.  All I know is Voldemort's here, and I have to stop him.

"Harry," Ron said from next to me.  He was holding an unconscious Hermione who had been at the wrong end of a Stunning Spell.  "You could die.  Call me insane, but I'd rather someone else died then you."

"I know.  But I have to take the chance.  When I leave, I... I want you to do something.  I need you guys to hide in the secret passage way to Honeydukes.  They won't know about it, not even Filch does.  I want you to hide there."

Ron nodded slowly.  "Alright Harry."

"Good.  Go," I said.  I didn't want to have to worry about them.  In the secret passage, they could take any Death Eater who did discover them one at a time.  They'd be safe.  I hope.

Ron gave me a somewhat affectionate look.  "Harry... Good luck."

"You too."  _I hope this isn't the last time I see you, _I wanted to say. Ron left, leaving Ginny and me alone for one moment.  "Ginny, I want to tell you that-"

"Stop.  Don't get all melodramatic on me, Harry.  I'll see you tomorrow," she said.

"No, Ginny, I really need to-"

"No!" she said this time with more force.  "I'm not going to let you wrap up your relationship with me in a nice little package and a bow, because you are not done with me yet.  I'll see you tomorrow."  I gave her a weak smile, and she stood on her tip toes and gave me a quick kiss on the mouth.  Ginny left without looking back.

_Okay, here I go._  I hesitated for a moment, before leaving to meet Lord Voldemort.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Harry remembered that day perfectly.  Every moment, every look, every word, every motion that happened to them.  He should.  He hadn't seen anyone from Hogwarts since.  No one from the wizarding world either.

When the battle was over, he left for Scotland.  He hadn't heard anything from anyone from London since.

Until today.

"Let me get this straight," Lieutenant Jones said, glaring at Harry as he spoke.  "You want to go to London.  You want to be there for at least a week.  You want to abandon all of your cases.  And you want me to pay for it!"

"Not exactly.  I'll be working on the new homicide," Harry said, flinching because he knew what was coming next.

"Oh.  That case that you requested.  The one I assigned to you out of the goodness in my heart."

"Yeah."  Harry was starting to look less and less optimistic about this idea.

"Can I ask you what can do in London to help with this case?"

"I think it might have been a... British mob."

Lieutenant Jones was suddenly considering firing Harry.   "Why?" he finally said, anger rising in his voice.

"Err... the marks, or absence there of reminded me of a case I worked on in London.  It could be related."

"And..." the Lieutenant prompted feeling there was more to this story.

"And Ethan's working on my other cases and you wanted us to work separately," Harry tried.

"And..."

"And an old friend of mine's getting married," Harry finally said, pouting a bit about being forced into a confession.

"Ahh... Tell you what, Potter.   I am in a generous mood.  You can go to London for one week."

"Thank you, sir!" Harry nearly shouted, not exactly expecting that.

"But I'm not paying for it!" Lieutenant Jones clarified.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Harry was very grateful he learned to apparate before he left, if he hadn't he would have never been able to get to this hotel unnoticed. You see, the hotel he was in was a hotel for witches and wizards and it was right in the middle of Hogsmeade.  This was where Hermione's rehersal dinner was taking place.  

Harry slowly looked around the room he was in, and it appeared to be the lobby.  He saw a large set of double doors.  From behind it, he could hear noises of a party.  Harry reached out for the door knob when it turned without him touching it.  Seamus Finnegan walked out.

"Harry!" he spoke with a joyful yet slurring noise that Harry noticed right away.  "Fabulous news!  I'm drunk!" Without another word Seamus rushed to the restroom, leaving Harry standing there.

Seeing Seamus had filled his mind with so memories.  Of course the two of them had never been particularly close, but they did share a room for seven years.  Harry remembered first meeting him.  He remembered hating him in fifth year for not believing him.  He remembered crying with him when Seaumus's older brother was killed by Voldemort.  These memories had been long forgotten, but as they resurfaced, Harry realized something.  He realized what a stupid idea this was.

Harry turned around and headed for the exit, when he heard the door open again, and heard another voice.

"Excuse, me waiter," called out a voice from behind Harry, but Harry didn't need to turn around to see who it was.  Hatred is like that.

For a moment, which in reality was little more than a second, Harry considered leaving right then.  He didn't.

Slowly Harry turned around, while the man was talking.  "It seems," he continued, "we've run out of..." he trailed of as soon as he saw Harry's face.

"Potter," his voice was full of loathing. 

"Malfoy," replied Harry with a similar tone.

It was amazing how  Malfoy looked the same and yet completely different.  His hair was still the yellow blond, but it wasn't jelled back, it stead it was loose, yet it was perfectly combed.  He may be the same height he was at seventeen, but he was defiantly burlier.

His face was the most different of all.  There was no smirk or sneer on his face today.  There were two expressions Harry was sure he would never see on Draco Malfoy's face.  The first was love; he would consider that a weakness.  And the second was hate, that which has a weakness just as large.  But hatred was there today.

They each stared for a moment.  Malfoy was the first to speak.  "I don't suppose you want to tell me what the hell your doing here."  His voice was firm, once again conveying his loathing for Harry.  Malfoy took a few steps away from the door.

"Funny," replied Harry trying to keep his cool, "I was about to ask you the same thing."

"I believe I have much more of a right to be here than you do."

"And how do you figure that?  I thought this was Hermione's rehearsal dinner."

"It is.  Which is exactly why I was wondering why you were here."

"I wanted to see my friends married.  Is that a problem?"

Malfoy gave out a short laugh.  "Friends?  Let's face it, Potter.  Your not her friend.  You abandon her for seven years, and then you come strolling in here like everything's is just dandy and it can all go back to the way it was.  They hate you now, Potter, and who could blame them?  So you may want to go to Hermione wedding, but she might not want you there."

Harry sighed aggravated and trying desperately not to hit Malfoy.  "Will you just tell me when Hermione and Ron are getting married?"

Malfoy paused for a moment.  And then he laughed.  "Ron and Hermione?" he said before laughing hysterically again.

"What is so funny?" asked Harry defiantly not amused.

"You really are thick, aren't you?  Ron's been married for three years.  And I'm marrying Hermione in two days."

Harry felt a numbing sensation slowly creep over his body.  Hermione was marrying Malfoy.  _No, no, no_, _he's lying! _Harry's brain screamed.  _She wouldn't.  She loves Ron, remember?  Ron and Hermione Weasley.  Yes, that's right._

"You're lying," Harry said, knowing it must be true.

"You wish, Potter.  You wish."

Harry was about to say something else when the door creaked open slowly.  A glimpse of bright red hair from the corner of eye made Harry turn his head.

"Draco?" said a small voice.  Ginny just as beautiful as Harry remembered.  Her eyes had rested on Harry and she froze, tears whelming in her eyes.

Malfoy started to say something to her, but Harry interrupted, "Ginny, I'm so sorr-"

But Ginny didn't listen without another word she disappeared back to the party, slamming the door behind her.  Harry started to go after her, but Malfoy grabbed Harry and pushed him back against a wall.

"Listen to me, Potter," Malfoy growled.  "Hermione's in there, but she doesn't want to see you.  All of your other friends,  don't want to see you, but if you want to talk to them, it's your business.  If you go near Ginny, I swear, I will kill you."

"Strange, here I thought you were marrying Hermione."

"I am."

"You want to tell me how that happened?"

"No.  Now, if you will excuse me I have to get back to_ my_ rehearsal dinner.  And in case there was any confusion; you are not invited."  Without another word Draco disappeared through the doors, and Harry, overcome with emptiness, decided to leave.

A/N:  And now you will get messages to all of our reviewers.

Voldie: Well, you got one answer, but the other is coming.  It might take a couple of chapters, but eventually, you'll know the whole thing.

Pigtail:  You watch Angel?  We love Angel!  Go you!  And, we have many great stories on the way, don't think we're all used up yet.  

Spaz: Our A/Ns are usually the jewel of our stories.  We're also very proud of our disclaimers

Rice:  AU?  It's not AU.  What makes it AU?  We're working on the rest of it; you're right about that stuff.  We sometimes have problems because we see our stories as tv shows.  Hope you're still reading this.

Snapecake:  Here's more!

Someone:  Thank you.

Tori:  Ha ha!  You thought it was Ron, but it wasn't.  We'll be answering all of those questions soon.

Princess:  Thank you

Hermione:  We love cliffys!


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Okay, in case none of you got it, that beginning scene in the last chapter was a flashback!  To make it more clear, we put this flashback in italics.  No, none of you actually said anything about being confused, but Ruth was sure that some of you were.  Anyways, that problem will not exist anymore, if any of you ever had it.  Okay, now to the disclaimer.

Disclaimer:  Well, Christmas _is_ coming, so you never know, we might own Harry Potter after that.  But at the moment, we own nothing but a few items of clothing and some cds.  Sorry.

Chapter 3

_The halls of Hogwarts were a place all too familiar for me.  I had walked these halls everyday for seven years.  But today, they were different._

_Tall figures in black cloaks and strange masks marched up and down the corridors.  Death Eaters patrolling the school.  But the forms of students crumpled on the ground were even more frightening.  Some were probably injured, but I wasn't sure that all of them were still breathing.  _

_I stumbled.  At first I  was afraid that someone had grabbed onto my invisibility cloak.  I thought that one of the Death Eaters had caught me.  But then I saw that it was a body I had tripped over.  The body of Michael Corner lay sprawled over the floor._

_I had never been particularly close to him, but since he was at the D.A. meetings, I got used to him being around.  I remembered when Ron found out he was dating Ginny, and when he finally got his Patronus down.  He was always making jokes, and now he was dead._

_His eyes which were usually warm and sparkling with laughter were now cold and accusatory.  I could almost hear them speak to me.  "It's all your fault, Harry.  I'm dead and I blame you."_

_"No," I found myself thinking.  "No, it's not my fault.  Voldemort killed you."_

_"But you didn't kill him first," the eyes said.  "You didn't kill him and I died because of it."_

_Suddenly, the image of Ginny in the same position crept into my mind.  Ginny's warm brown eyes staring at me the same way.  This, more than anything motivated me to find Voldemort and kill him._

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Ginny, dear, you're not eating," Molly said in a hushed voice, leaning across the table towards her daughter.

"It's not that, Mum.  Did it ever occur to you that I could just not be hungry?" Ginny snapped back.  

_No, _Molly thought, but didn't dare to say it out loud.  _After what happened, I'll never think you're just not hungry again._

"I have to leave," Ginny said, interrupting Mrs. Weasley's thoughts.  The young girl dropped her napkin on her plate and practically running to the bathroom.

"Oh, dear.  What's wrong with her?" Molly said, beginning to rise herself.

"Molly, I'll go," Hermione said, standing up quicker.

"Oh, but you'd miss your dinner.  I can't let that happen," Molly said.  "And what if it's... _that_ again."

"If it's that, then she wouldn't tell you about it.  And I'd rather miss my rehearsal dinner than my wedding," Hermione said as she got up and followed Ginny out.

"That was a bit odd," Percy commented, not actually adding anything helpful to the conversation.

"I wonder what's wrong with her," mused Ron, shoveling another mouthful of goose into his mouth.

"It could be nothing," remarked Arthur hopefully.

"What do you think, Draco?" asked Bill knowing that Draco knew the answer just as well as any of them.

"Well, it could be nothing.  It could be the stress of her new job.  It could be Molly's right, and it's that again.  She could be feeling bad about breaking up with that git, Malcolm. Or, you know, PMS.  Also, she could be secretly in love with me.  You never know."  There was a pause.  "Oh, it could also be that Harry Potter's in the lobby."

No one spoke.  No one moved.  Ron's fork actually froze midway to his mouth.

Luckily, Molly broke this silence when she pushed back her chair and began to stand.

"Sit down, Mum," Percy said, sounding appalled that his mother would even think of getting up.

"Why?" Molly asked, none-the-less taking a seat.  She could tell there was going to be a fight about this.  "Harry's out there, weren't you listening?"

"I was.  Weren't you?  Don't you remember that it's Harry Potter?" he said, stressing the last couple of words.

"He left you all, Mrs. Weasley," Draco said, his mouth full of food.  "No goodbye, or anything.  Just took off."

"He obviously wants to talk to us.  That's why he's here," Molly persisted.

"He doesn't deserve to talk to us, Mum," said Fred.

"No," George disagreed.  "He does.  Maybe he wants to apologize."

"I don't care!" Draco shouted.  "Damn it!  You all know what he did to Ginny by leaving, and you just want to welcome him back?" 

"Who's back?" Luna asked, suddenly looking up from her plate.  This was one of the first things she had said during the dinner.  She had actually spent most of her time trying to make a sculpture of a thestral out of her mashed potatoes, which is more difficult than it sounds.

"He's like family," Molly said, her voice hardening.  "We can't just leave him out there.  Can we, Ron?"  She looked at her youngest son's place, but found no one there.  Ron wasn't at the table.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Ron threw open the doubled doors has he burst into the lobby.  The sudden noise made several people out there jump.  His eyes scanned the room for Harry and finally found him facing the door as if he was about to leave.

_Let him leave,_ Ron thought briefly, but couldn't just leave it at that.  He felt he _had_ to go see him.  _Just for a few minutes,_ he told himself.

For a short moment, he was worried that Draco might follow him out and attack Harry.  Or possibly Percy.  Or maybe his mum would come out and hug him and kiss him and tell him how much she missed him.  Of course, during all of this, Ron would get pushed to the side.  So he pulled out his wand and muttered a locking charm without a second thought.

He walked up behind Harry, who still stood facing the door.  Harry took a slow step toward it and reached out his hand to leave when Ron finally spoke.  "Running away, again?"

Harry spun around to face his old friend.  "Ron," was all he said.

"Hello, Harry.  I thought you might be gone."

"I was thinking about it."

"Of course you were," Ron said, putting all of the resentment he had held inside him since he left into those few words.  "That's what you seem to do best, isn't it?"

"Look, I told you.  It wasn't safe for you-"

"Like hell it wasn't!" Ron interrupted.  "You and I both know that we could take care of ourselves!"

Harry was silent.  _Say something, damn it!_ Ron silently pleaded.  _Yell at me!  Scream!  Tell me I'm wrong.  _

Finally,  he did say something, but it wasn't what Ron expected.  "I missed you," Harry said dully.

"Of course you did," Ron said.  But he couldn't find it in himself to say that he missed him too.

"I heard you got married," Harry started after a couple moments of silence.

"Yeah.  For the past three years now," Ron agreed.  

"So I heard.  It's not to Hermione, I guess, is it?" Harry asked.

"Bloody hell!" Ron said laughing.  "Why would I marry Hermione?  Don't be ridiculous, Harry!" 

"Well, you two were dating when..."  Harry floundered , not wanting to say the words, "when I left." 

"Yeah.  But we had nothing in common, Harry.  Didn't you realize that.  We were just too different.  Now she's marrying someone much more on her level, and-"

"You mean Malfoy?" Harry interrupted loudly.  "I still can't believe that you're just going to let _that _ happen."

"Yes, well... he's not that bad once you get to know him," Ron said weakly.  "I mean he's... Ginny's friend.  He was kind of there for her after you... well, you know."  Ron found he couldn't say, "when you left," either.

"So, which lovely lady did you find to marry?" Harry asked, changing the subject.

"I knew you were going to ask that!" Ron moaned.  "Okay, don't laugh."

"What?  I'm not going to laugh."

"Yes, you will.  Just remember, she's not as crazy as she looks."

"You didn't?" Harry exclaimed, thinking to himself who Ron just must have tied the knot with.

"Yeah.  It's Luna Weasley now," Ron said, shifting his eyes away from Harry's.

And Harry laughed.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

As soon as Ginny entered the bathroom she crumbled against the wall, and fell to a sitting position. Tears began to cascade down her face despite how hard she tried to stop them.  She heard the door open but didn't bother to see who it was.  It didn't matter.

Hermione wordlessly sat down next to Ginny and pulled her weeping friend in to her arms.  "It's alright, Ginny.  It's alright."  A few moments passed until Ginny was sure that if she cried any longer she would explode.

"Ginny, what's wrong?" Hermione asked softly.

Ginny began to speak so softly Hermione had to strain her ears to here what the other girl was muttering.  "He's not supposed to be here.  I don't know why he's here.  Draco wouldn't have invited him.  I thought he was dead.  Or perhaps I just hoped he was.  Well, maybe not dead, but that there was a reason he couldn't be here, a reason why he couldn't come back."

"Ginny, your not making any sense.  What is it?"

"It's _him_," Ginny said firmly, tears streaming down her face.  "But he's not supposed to be here."

"Who's here, Gin?"

"Harry.  Harry Potter."

A/N:  Don't you all love it?  What was that?  I can't here you, you probably don't live anywhere near us.  So you can either drive to where we live, which would be difficult because we're not telling you were we are, or you can leave us a review.  See, a review is a helpful little message that will show up on our computer.  It would be very helpful because then we will know that you love our story. 

Okay, next chapter will involve another flashback.  Yay!  And some more of the fight at the table, which is always interesting.  We will also make up an original character with no lines.  

Now, I have succeeded in making this chapter six pages.  Go me.  I will leave you all alone now to go read other stories, hopefully by us.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Hermione's first instinct was to get up and race to tell.  She wanted to tell him everything that had happened, and how much she missed him.  But her mind screamed out,  _Stay with Ginny._  So,  she did.

"I think you should go home and get some rest." Hermione suggested.

Ginny shook her head.  "I-I don't want to be alone."

"I'll take you," Hermione offered kindly.

"I'm not letting you miss your rehearsal dinner because I turned into a basket case."

"That rules Draco out as well.  Let's go get Maria."  Hermione helped Ginny up and put her arm around her as they walked out of the bathroom.

The before quiet and civilized hall now seemed load and angry.  There was a large argument going on at the main table, and others were all listening intently to it.  However, as soon as Hermione and Ginny entered, Draco hurried tot hem.

"I'm going to go get Maria to take her home," Hermione said softly to Draco as he reached them.  "Can you stay with Ginny while I get her?"

Draco just nodded putting his arm around Ginny and she immediately turned into his chest clutch him as though her life depended it.  Hermione without another word hurried off.

Maria was a Hispanic student who met Ginny during an exchange program and the two became friends.  Hermione reached her  before quickly explaining the situation.  Maria practically ran to Ginny before taking her from Draco and lead her out the back door as to not run into Harry.

Hermione wordlessly started toward the door to the lobby hearing pieces of the argument on her way.

"I can't believe you are all just willing to let him sit out there all alone."

"He's not alone, Mum," George said simply.  "Ron's out there."

"Ron is not _out_ there," Percy said simply.  "He sees logic.  He's probably just in the loo."

Molly stood up aggravated.  "I'm going to see Harry, and I don't care what the rest of you think."  She brushed past Hermione has she hurried to the door.  But, when she tried to push open the door, it wouldn't budge.  She tried yanking on it with all her might, then pushing as hard as she could again.

George came over to her quickly.  "Mum.  Sit down.  They obviously don't need to see you right now," he comforted, enveloping her in a hug.  "He'll come see you when he's ready."

"But what if he doesn't?" Molly wailed, clearly being completely supported by her son now.  "What if he leaves and never comes back?"

"Then he didn't deserve to see you," George said, sounding a bit cold.  "Come on.  Sit."  George led his mother back to her seat.

Hermione, however, wasn't as emotionally strained as Molly was and easily worked out a solution.  She strode up to the door, being careful not to attract any attention from the Weasley table, and muttered, "Alohamora."  The door opened and she slipped through to the other side.

There she saw a recognizable sight, one that filled her with a strange happiness of familiarity.  Harry was laughing at something Ron said.  For a moment, they looked sixteen again, sending Hermione back to a place that she hadn't been for a while.

She ran forward and threw her arms around her old best friend.  Harry, who hadn't seen her there, was slightly taken aback.  Soon, he recovered and cautiously returned the hug.

"You're back," Hermione whispered.  She remembered what she had felt when she realized he wasn't coming back anytime soon.  She had locked herself up in her room at her parents house.  It had taken her four months before she finally had applied to one of the internships she had been looking at.  Of course, that had been before she gotten together with Draco.

"Yeah," Ron said, interrupting Hermione's thoughts.  "He's back.  And we were having a conversation."  Ron sounded more annoyed then genuinely angry.

"I was laughing at his wife," Harry explained.

Hermione giggled, pulling apart from Harry.  "I laughed too, when he first told me."

"Luna can be very sweet," Ron said, defensively.

"But never sane," Hermione interjected.

"Because the person Hermione is marrying is faultless," Ron said, his voice still good natured.  Hermione punched him in the arm.  Harry looked as though he wanted to say something, but didn't.

"Where have you been?" Hermione asked breathlessly.

"It's not important," Harry said, sounding a bit grumpy.

"Like hell it's not," Hermione commented sounding snippy.

"I've been away from magic."  Harry spoke shortly showing that he would say nothing more on the topic.

"What can you do without magic?" Ron asked.

"I'm a police man," Harry answered, still not sounding cheerful.

"That must be great.  Any cases you've been doing lately?" Hermione said quickly, trying to figure out what Harry had been doing these past few years.

"What are you asking me these questions for?  I should be asking you questions.  Like how you ended up marrying Draco Malfoy?" Harry probed.  And the reason why Harry had been acting so crabby came to Hermione's mind.

"He's not the person you think he is," she said quickly.

"Really, mate," Ron said.  "You just have to talk to him-"

"I did," Harry interrupted.  "And he seemed the same to me."

Hermione crossed her arms and gave Harry a stern look.  "You don't believe us when we say he's changed?  Well, maybe you'd believe us if we told you that Ginny was the one who changed him."

Harry stood dumbstruck.  "Ginny?"

"She needed a shoulder to cry on after you left," Hermione continued, sounding very firm.  "Draco was the only one around who wasn't dealing with the same pain.  She made him nicer while he made her stronger.  I was skeptical when I first heard about it to, but look at me now," she finished.

Harry stared at her, his mouth slightly open.  After a moment he spoke.  "Did they ever... you know?"

Hermione opened her mouth but Ron wouldn't let her speak.  "Don't tell me!" he shouted.  "I don't want to know!"

Hermione rolled her eyes.  "Do you need a place to stay tonight, Harry?"  Her anger had cooled down, and she know just wanted to spend time with her friend.

"I can get a hotel room," Harry said, sounding a bit intimidated.

"No.  You can stay with me," Hermione offered.

"That's great.  She's getting married in less then a week and is still inviting guys to spend the night at her house," Ron said, sounding amazed.

"Weren't you just yelling at me?" Harry asked, sounding afraid that she might start up again at any minute.

"Are you complaining?" Hermione raised an eyebrow and looked at him threateningly.

"Nope.  Not at all."

"Good.  I'll take you-"

But Hermione was cut off when the door opened.  And blonde man in a tuxedo came out into the lobby.  "Oh," Draco said when he saw Harry.  "He's still here."

Hermione momentarily wondered if Harry could have picked a worse time to show up for a reunion.  "Ron, can you take Harry to my house?" she said quickly.  "There's food in the refrigerator," she said quickly before hurrying over to her fiancé and leading him back into the party room.

"You know I hate that guy, right?" Draco muttered as they went back to the table where the Weasley's were.

"And he hates you.  But you'll both get over it eventually," she said, smiling brightly and waving at Lavender Brown.  _I hope,_ she added quietly to herself.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

A/N:  Sorry it took so long.   We'd like to thank everyone that took the time to review.  Even if it was a bad one, reviewing is all around good.  However, we'd been a bit depressed think people hated our story because of all the bad reviews, but it was actually only three.  But these three people's sheer stupidity was really getting to us.

First of, we'd like to stress a particular aspect of a story.  It's called suspense.  It means, we don't tell you everything that's happening right now, because later on everything's going to come together.  We realize some people  are having problems with this concept.

"first of all i don't know your whole storyplot.  
but Hermione and Draco?? Gin going with Draco??  
and the whole Weasley family is against Harry,   
just because he left after the battle?  
na sorry but another story without an logical plot_"_

                        - Schnuff

Schnuff, if you're still reading we'd like you to know that Hermione and Draco is a perfectly reasonable pairing.  One must simply acknowledge the effect of parental abuse that is so obvious in the Malfoy household.  We never said Ginny was going with Draco.  You do not know all the facts about their relationship, so we suggest you  not judge on assumptions.  And who said the Weasley's were angry at him just for leaving after the battle although that would be reasonable.  (Also, story plot is two words.)

"I really think you are misunderstanding harry is not a person to be pushed around by anyone, and expesially a drop dead fucking bitch like malfoy, gay bastard is what he is. Malfoy is like a damn girl, always wants his way screaming and yelling until he gets it. I highly doubt that draco/hermione, would get together, infact I really dont think draco and any straight human being would get with him. "

                        -chris-warren876

Your opinion is that Draco Malfoy is gay, an opinion that I'm sure is shared by many people, however in this particular story he is not.  It is  never said or particularly mention in the books that he is gay so we're perfectly in canon.  As to Harry being pushed around, it happens quite a lot in the books, perhaps you should read them more thoroughly.  (Oh, and there's this thing called capitalization.  You should try it sometime.)

"This would have been good, but Draco/Hermione just doesn't do it, its too far fetched even if he changes, and as for the whole ginny/draco/hermione situtation, harry leaves and suddenly draco is god and becomes friends possibly lovers of both of the heroines of the story that just is pure bullshit. sorry but it just doesn't sit right, draco was never described as being a suave, good person."

No, he wasn't.  But people change.  People evolve.  People don't stay the same way they did when they were fifteen, and if they did we'd live in the most immature world, wouldn't we?  We'd like you get the whole story before you decide that any way that Ginny and Hermione would be friends with Draco as crap.  Since you don't have the whole story, you obviously assumed that they both started to like him because he was a "suave, good person."  And you know what assuming does...

We'd like to apologize to all of our other readers, but these reviews just bugged us because most of them were purely against Draco, and that bugs us.  We know that J. K. will never do anything with the character, but we like him and want to develop him past the sodding bastard that he was as a child.  We know it's partly our fault for posting under Ginny/Harry, as Ron/Hermione seems to go hand-in-hand with that, making most people hate Draco.  So, if you've suffered enough to read all of that, we apologize for it and we're done preaching now.  Anyway, here's the story!

Disclaimer:  Yeah, after that really long A/N, do you feel the need to read one of our witty disclaimers right now?  Didn't think so.

_I didn't know how I knew where I was going.  I just went, knowing that I would find him eventually.  And I did, by the lake.  He was standing by himself, looking out at the lake, smiling softly._

_I was frozen for a moment, not quite sure what to do.  I wondered if I could do the killing curse.  Then I wondered if it would even work on him.  Was he human enough?_

_"Hello, Potter," he said, breaking me from my thoughts, his voice as high pitched as it had ever been.  He turned to me slowly.  "I was getting rather bored.  You were just taking your time to get here.  That's alright, though.  I amused myself in other ways."  He raised one long finger to point at the lake._

_It took me a moment to notice what he was talking about.  A large pink object was floating about twelve meters from the shore.  He had killed the Giant Squid._

_"So," Lord Voldemort said.  "Shall I kill you?"_

_I jutted out my chin in a defiant way.  "You can try."_

_Voldemort laughed.  "Well, isn't that like a normal teenage boy?  Being-"_

_"Expelliarmus!" I shouted, cutting him off.  His wand flew to me._

_He smiled.  A horrible, cold smile.  "Now what, boy?" he asked.  "You've taken my wand.  Now you have to kill me.  How?  The Killing Curse?  You couldn't do that?"_

_I racked my brain thinking of a curse.  Any curse!  Something that could be fatal, finally something came to mind.  _

_"Incindio!"  My voice was loud and firm, at first it appeared nothing had happened, and then, Voldemort screamed.  A terrible pitching cry in pain.  It appeared he was being burned from the inside out.  In only a matter of seconds, his body was a pile of ashes._

_I stared at it.  That was it.  That was all it took to kill him.  One word.  One moment.  He was weak, for that was all it took.  It was too easy, far too easy.  I stood there for a long time thinking about what would have happened, if I had just done it a little sooner.  If I had just killed him sooner.  Tonks had died last year; would she be still alive?  Michael Corner and Professor Flitwick whose body's I had found on the way down here, were among countless others.  If only I had found and killed Voldemort a little sooner.  If only I hadn't been afraid for years.  Sirius..._

_I turned away and started my way back to the castle, when I froze.  It had been to easy.  Tears of anger were in my eyes, anger at Voldemort, and death eaters, and himself.  I grabbed a handful of the ashes and threw them into the water.  I grabbed another handful and started to run toward the forest.  Once I entered it, I ran mindlessly dropping some of the ashes every few steps.  Then, I ran back to the pile.  Out of breath and covered in sweat, I kicked the remains of Voldemort with my foot._

_I fell to the ground crying for all those who had died.  Yet, despite this regret, I felt triumphant.  He was gone, and now there was no way he was coming back.  Death Eaters could not  bring him back now; there was no way they would find his ashes.  He was gone._

_It was then that I heard it: footsteps. I stood up quickly, my wand ready.  Threateningly, I pointed it at the man approaching._

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Harry rolled over in his sleep.  Unfortunately, as he did this, he rolled right off of the couch he was sleeping on.  "Ow!" he shouted as his hand hit the coffee table on his way did.

"Morning, Harry," Hermione called from somewhere behind Harry.  He stood up slowly, gripping his injured hand and spotted Hermione in the kitchen.  "You hungry?" she asked.

"You cook?" Harry responded, never imagining Hermione as the cooking type.  He made his way over to the kitchen nook of her small, one bedroom apartment.

"I cooked tea.  I went out to get bagels.  Do you want plain or poppy seed?" Hermione said, pulling her bagel out of the toaster.

It took a few minutes with minimal conversation for Harry to be situated with  cup of tea and a bagel with cream cheese.  Soon, they were seated at Hermione's small kitchen table.  And neither one said a word.

Eventually, when Harry couldn't take it anymore, he said something.  Something that might be considered somewhat inappropriate, considering the situation, but it was something, nonetheless.  "You  never answered my question from before.  Did Ginny ever ... was she involved with Malfoy?"

Hermione smirked.  "That really bugs you, doesn't it?  Actually, when they first started spending time together, we thought they were, as you put it, involved.  I mean, Ginny announces to us that she's going to bring a very special friend of hers to Christmas dinner, we all naturally assumed that 'special friend' meant-"

"A very friendly friend," Harry filled in.

Hermione nodded and continued.  "Well, of course, when Draco Malfoy walked through the door, the Weasley's all almost had a heart attack.  Ron and the twins tried to kill him at once and this was only settled by a few well aimed leg-locker curses cast by Percy-"

"Percy?" Harry interrupted.  "What was... I thought... Percy was shunning all thing's Weasley when I left.  I didn't expect him to be invited to their Christmas dinners anymore."

"They made up.  He admitted he was wrong, though with much difficulty.  After all, it _is_ Percy," Hermione said smiling.  "He was very big on forgiveness that Christmas, hence he saved Draco from being killed by the Weasley boys.  This was then followed by a very tense conversation about Draco's whole life, seeing as how we all thought he was a Death Eater then-"

"Still not sure he wasn't.  All of those things he said back then... Are you sure that he wasn't?" Harry said meekly, almost sure that Hermione would begin to yell again.

"Of course he wasn't.  Draco just... well... had no independence.  I know that sounds very lame," she added quickly when Harry raised his eyebrow questioningly.  "But it's true.  He was never taught to form his own opinions about things, he just blindly followed his father."

"Well, that's great.  You're marrying someone who doesn't form his own opinions.  Sounds like a very healthy relationship," Harry said sarcastically.

"He does now.  He just really didn't back then."

Silence lowered over the table again.  Harry finished the last of his tea, and looked around awkwardly for something to do.

Hermione broke the silence this time.  "So, what are you going to do today?"

An automatic answer popped into Harry's mouth.  "Work on my case."

"Oh," Hermione said, feigning a disappointed tone.  "Here I thought you were here just to see me get married."

"W- I was!" Harry stuttered.  "It's just that-  Well, there's this murder too.  It was my excuse to get time off to come here.  I really did just want to-"

"It's okay, Harry," Hermione said, laughing a bit.  "I was just joking.  But can I suggest before you go around looking for clues or something, you might want to visit the Burrow."

~*~*~*~*~*~

At the time, Hermione's suggestion had sounded like a very good idea, but now that Harry was standing on the doorstep, he was wondering what made him decided to listen to her.

He raised his fist, and knocked softly on the door.  He waited a brief moment, before changing his mind and turning around.  He was about three steps away from the door, when it swung open.  Harry turned again, because he knew he had been caught.

A woman with blond hair pulled back into a pony tail stared back at him.  Her eyes vacant, as though she didn't really know he was there.  It was that vacant stare that made Harry realize who he was looking at.  "Luna?"

"Yes?" she asked, her voice sounding as though she was thinking about something else.

"It's me," Harry told her slowly.  "Harry Potter.  Remember?"

Luna stared for another second.  "Oh, right!" she suddenly said loudly.  "Harry's  back.  Of course!  All this time I thought the Weasley's were making a big deal about someone's hairy back.  Are you coming in?  All of the Lutrets come rushing into the house if I don't shut the door in a minute."

Harry stepped into the house without a second thought.  Unfortunately, once the door was shut behind him and he was in the Weasley's kitchen, second thoughts flooded back into his mind.

The kitchen was empty except for the two of them.  The sink was full of dishes and charmed brushes that were washing them.  It seemed so normal.  For one second, Harry felt that not everything had changed.

A three year old girl came running into the room, being chased by an older boy.  The girl's hair was a darker shade of red than most of the Weasley's, and her skin was the shade of coffee with cream.  Her cheeks were dusted with freckles, leaving now doubt that this was a Weasley child.

The boy proved to be a Weasley as well, as his hair was the exact same shade as Ron's.  However, he had no freckles and extremely blue eyes that reminded Harry of someone, though he wasn't sure who.

These two children ruined the time-standing-still feeling that Harry had had when he entered the room.  They stopped when they saw him.

"Who are you?" the boy said, positioning himself in front of the girl.

For a moment, Harry wasn't sure about what to do.  After a moment of brainstorming, he crouched down and extended his hand to the boy.  "I'm Harry Potter.  Who are you?"

The boy looked him up and down, then finding him no threat, answered, though he didn't meet Harry's hand shake.  "I'm Andre," he told Harry firmly.  "This is my cousin Madison," he said, motioning to the girl standing behind him.

"I know you," said Madison, peering over Andre's shoulder.  "Uncle Percy doesn't like you.  And neither does Uncle Fred."

"Be nice, Madison," Andre told her.

Harry pulled his hand back, figuring that no one would be shaking it anytime soon.  "Do they really," he said, though he figured that they most likely did.  "What about your Grandmother?  Can I talk to her?"

"Grandmum's in the living room," Andre asked Harry, offering his hand up to Harry.  Harry wrapped his fingers around it gently and allowed himself to be led into the living room.  He waved briefly at Luna, who busied herself with a book lying on the kitchen table.

Molly Weasley wasn't the only person in the living room.  In fact, it looked almost like he had walked into a Weasley family reunion.  There were various members of the Weasley family scattered around the room.  When Harry walked in, all conversation ceased.

"Harry," Molly whispered, bolting to her feet and running to throw her arms around Harry's neck.  Harry lowered his head onto her shoulder and closed his eyes.  "I missed you so much," she whispered into his ear.

"I missed you too," he said.  She pulled away and he opened his eyes to survey the room.

He recognized Arthur, Bill, Percy, Fred, George and Ron.  He also noticed that Angelina, Alicia, and Fleur were seated around the room in various places as well.  Alicia looked very pregnant and Fleur had a girl about four seated on her lap.

George, who seemed to be uncomfortable by the silence jumped up from his seat.  "Harry!" he said, striding forward to pull Harry into a manly hug.  "Good to see you, old boy.  How've you been?"

"Great," Harry said absently, somewhat put of by the murderous glares of Fred and Percy.

"You've met my daughter, I see," George continued.

"Yeah, I... wait.  I thought that she was..." Harry trailed off, looking confused.  Fred and Angelina had been dating when he left and he figured that Madison would be their child.

"Oh no!  See, Angelina and I got together about six years ago," George explained.  Meanwhile, Alicia managed to pull herself onto her feet.

"Harry," she said, smiling brightly.  She leaned forward and gave him a quick peck on the cheek.  "Glad you're back.  Perhaps you will have some _helpful _information to add on our topic.  You see, we're discussing names for my baby and Percy has the horrible idea of naming it after his great-grandfather, Frederick.  Now, in case you haven't noticed, we already have a Fred in the family and Fredericka is such a awful name.  What do you think?"

Harry was at a loss for words.  Alicia, though they had been on the same Quidditch team for five years, had never said so many words to him at once.  Luckily he never had the chance to respond, as Percy got to his feet angrily.

"Alicia," he said, trying to keep his voice calm, but it sounded as though he would be yelling at any moment.  "We are not asking _Harry Potter's_ opinion on what we should name our baby."

"Just because-" Alicia started.

"Just because of what?  You know what he did!" Percy had lost control of his voice now.  "And you know what happened to Ginny, when-"

He trailed off as Ginny came down the stairs, smiling.  "Are we finally discussing the naming the baby after me?" she said, happily.

Harry's heart flipped.  He hadn't seen Ginny looking that cheerful since he left.  That brief confrontation at the Rehearsal Dinner did not compare to seeing her like this.

But then Ginny spotted Harry in the room and her smile faded.  Without another word, she turned on her heel and dashed back up the stairs.

Harry, without a moments hesitation, started to sprint to the stairs, calling her name when Fred got up and blocked the way.  He glared at Harry, his eyes very stern and Harry realized that Fred had not said one word since he entered the room.

"Let's take a walk," Fred said, leading Harry outside with a strong, if  not forceful, hand.  Once the door had slammed shut behind them, he looked at Harry, angrily.  "Why did you come back?" he asked, his voice betraying no emotion, though his face did.

Harry floundered for words, not used to seeing Fred like this.  "I...er... wanted to see Hermione.  I heard she was getting married."

This, if anything, made Fred look even angrier.  "You didn't even think about seeing Ginny again, did you?"

"Yes," Harry said, simply.  "I did."

"You probably thought she'd be here, waiting for you.  Ready to jump into your open arms and forgive you.  Am I close?"

Harry shifted his eyes away, not wanting to admit that this was exactly what he had thought.

"Well, I'll tell you something, Potter.  Ginny _was_ waiting for you, ready to jump into your open arms and forgive you for about two weeks after you left.  Then she started to lose hope, blame herself for your leaving."

"But it wasn't because of her-" Harry interjected angrily.

"Yeah, but you should have tried to tell her that.  She cried every night that summer.  But we never detected.  We were hardly there for her, we were lost in our own grief.  So when she stopped eating, we hardly noticed," Fred finished, his voice stern and hard, leaving no doubt that he blamed Harry.

"She... What?"  Harry felt as if he couldn't have heard him right.  That he must have said something else and Harry had just interpreted it wrong.

"The Muggle term is Anorexia.  She thought that if she was more beautiful, maybe you would come back.  So she starved herself."  

Harry felt as if he was sinking.  He had had no idea that he had hurt her so much.  No idea the impact he had had, and he understood why so many of the Weasley's hated him.  "Oh, God."

"That's right.  And you wonder why we accepted Malfoy so easily.  He was the only  one who was able to talk some sense into her.  He stopped her problem," Fred continued.  An ironic smile played at his lips.  "Without Draco Malfoy, she might have died."

"I'm... I'm so sorry," Harry said, not able to string together any other words.

"It doesn't matter.  It's still your fault," Fred told him.  He seemed like he was about to go back inside,  but Harry thought of something.  Something that Fred had said earlier.

"You said that you were all lost in your own grief.  What grief?  I mean, you all weren't so terribly upset about my leaving were you?"

Fred stared at him as if he was the stupidest man alive.  "I guess you didn't notice that Charlie wasn't inside then did you?  He was killed about three days after you left."  Fred turned around to go back inside.  Before opening the door he turned to look at Harry. "Don't come back, Harry," he said.  "Don't ever come back here."  And Harry thought he saw a tear slide down Fred's cheek, but before he could be sure, the door slammed, leaving Harry alone out side of the Burrow.

A/N: And see?  That author's note didn't effect the length of our chapter one bit.  Okay, let's try being less 'Draco-bashy' in our reviews this time, kay?


	6. Chapter 6

A/N:  Yes, it's been forever, but we updated for you, see?  And yes, we are still pissed at you people who feel the need to review and tell us that cue whiney voice Draco sucks and you only like him cuz Tom Felton is cute.  Well, Tom Felton is cute, but he is not Draco Malfoy.  Draco Malfoy is different, we respect that, and we still want to write about him.  We also recognize that J. K. Rowling doesn't want to do anything with Draco and Hermione.  You should recognize that we don't care.  Fanfiction isn't about writing what the authors would write about.  That would be boring.  It's to expand the story to add things that the author would never do, just to see how the characters would react to it.  So there.  Bitch at us if you want, you probably will anyways, but just know that we think you all are silly.  The end. 

Disclaimer:  I always feel grumpy when I write these after I write such an angry authors note.  So, maybe a rhyme.  Yes, a rhyme.

Please do not sue

For, yes, it's true

That Harry Potter

Is worth the same to us as cannon fodder

Okay, so it's not a particularly good rhyme.  I'm the unpoetic one, leave me alone.  Right, you all want a story, don't you.

Chapter 6

_"Potter," he spoke his voice smooth.  "Fancy seeing you here."_

_"I live here."  My voice was short and to the point._

_"Certainly not here," Lucius Malfoy continued.  "I thought you lived in the awful Gryffindor tower."_

_"What do you want, Malfoy?"  I used the same phrase that I often said to his son, but somehow, I felt much more hate than I ever did with Draco._

_Malfoy smirked.  "I'm here to take away your body, but seeing as how you don't seem to be dead, I'll have trouble with that, won't I?"_

_"I do believe that you will."  My hand grasped my wand, ready to use it in case Malfoy decided to kill me himself._

_"And seeing as how I don't see my Lord, I am to assume he's dead," Lucius Malfoy said, his voice not sounding nearly as disappointed as I had hoped._

_"I killed him," I said plainly, looking Malfoy in the eye._

_"Well, that's aggravating," he told me, not sounding aggravated at all.  "It will take at least a few years to get all the Death Eaters unified again.  We'll have to start all over."_

_"But...But you mean..." I stuttered, losing most of the strength that I had felt myself acquire in the last few minutes._

_"Spit it out, Potter.  Are you going to ask if I mean that the Death Eaters will continue without a leader?  Because if so, that is exactly what I mean."_

_Somehow, I managed to keep from sobbing.  Crying in front of one's enemy is embarrassing, particularly for a seventeen year old boy._

_"We will continue.  And kill.  They can't lock us all up.  Everyone, everything you were close to, will be finished.  And they will end screaming."  The joy in his voice was obvious.  Lucius Malfoy was practically smiling as he told me that he would kill everyone I loved._

_"You can't," I said, trying to sound positive about this.  "You don't have the power to do that."_

_"Steps have already been taken, Potter.  I'd look out for that family you love so much.  Those mugglelovers who deserve to die as much as you."_

_The Weasley's.  The Weasley's being attacked, killed.  I saw Mr. Weasley and Percy being killed in their offices.  Bill, Charlie being attacked at work.  Fred and George, trying to be funny even though they knew there life was over.  Mrs. Weasley sobbing as they killed her children in front of her.  Ron knowing that he was just a tool to get to Harry and feeling this insignificance as he took his last breath.  And Ginny._

_I  looked up at where Lucius had been, but he was gone.  Vanished, along with any hope of stopping him first._

_Then, I made a choice.  I decided that I would leave, concentrating the Death Eater's efforts on finding me instead of killing the Weasley's.  I could run.  I could escape.  It wasn't too late._

_And I did run.  I ran into Hogsmeade and took the first fireplace I could to London, all the while replaying my conversation with Lucius Malfoy  in my mind._

"Harry Potter.  Well, aren't you the last person I expected to come pay me a visit?"  Lucius Malfoy said, feigning a pleasant voice when Harry approached the prison cell.  Lucius was seated casually, leaning up against a wall, but made no move to get up.

"Well, I doubted the Weasley's would be high up on your list," Harry responded, his voice flat.

"Quite right.  That is an unlikely possibility.  Also, I doubt my son will be coming around any time soon.  Anyway, how can I be of service to you, Mr. Potter."  Lucius sneered, clearly mocking Harry.

Harry, not for the first time, doubted his decision to come to Azkaban.  The Dementors were every where and the prisoners weren't much better company.  "You killed Charlie Weasley," Harry found himself saying, against his will.  He had meant to ask about the murder he was working on, not on his own personal issues.

"Oh, not me.  I would never do anything so heinous.  But yes, I did order his murder."  He showed no remorse.  None at all.  "I told you I would," he added with a shrug.

Harry was grateful the bars were between the two of them, or else there would be nothing stopping him from killing the man before him.  "I thought that if I.. I left, then-"

Harry was interrupted by Malfoy's faint chuckle.  "Yes, I suppose that always was your weakness.  You are incredibly self-centered.  Voldemort was the one who wanted to kill you, Potter, not us.  We couldn't care less, so you see, once he was dead, there was no more reason to kill you, or waste our resources looking for you."

Harry was taken aback for a moment.  "But... but Charlie was-"

"A warning.  We, as Death Easters, wouldn't stop.  And, by killing Charlie, a member of your beloved family, it sunk in that you weren't going to help them.  I had it planned all along, what to do if our master fell.  And you did just what I wanted you to do, ran like the coward you are!"

"No!"  Harry yelled.  "I did it to save them.  I did it to protect them!"

"Ah, yes.  Your brilliant plan to run away didn't work, did it?" Lucius' voice was cutting and bitter.  "That's because you are just a sad Gryffindor with no real planning skills at all.  You couldn't even keep your own friends safe."

Harry froze, and took several deep breaths to calm down before changing the topic.  "I came to ask you about a murder."

"While I assure you, Potter, I've been responsible for a great many deaths, I can hardly take the credit for everyone you come upon."

Harry continued as if he hadn't spoken.  "A girl, mid-twenties, killing curse, and the Dark Mark."

"Ah," Lucius sighed, "I see."  There was a pause as he leaned back as if in thought.  "Tell me, Potter, do you know how long I've been in here?"

"I didn't really care," Harry said simply.

"Five years.  I tend to be out of the loop on the current Death Eater activity.  Though I do get the highlights from a very helpful source."  Saying this, he grinned slightly.

"A source?  Who?"

"Let me ask you a question, Mr. Potter:  Just how stupid so you think I am?" he said, a small smirk playing at the corners of his mouth.  "My point was that the killing of some girl does not make the highlights list."

Harry turned, about to leave without another thought, when an idea hit him.  "Malfoy, you've been in here for five years?" he asked, spinning around.

"Yes," he replied, looking sad for the first time.  "Five years of being locked up in this cell without any of the joys I used to take for granted.  And many more to go."

"Hmm," Harry said, not a stranger to the whining of criminals.  "So, if you don't mind me asking, who turned you in?  I just assumed that you'd been caught by the investigations following the fall of Voldemort, but two years after?  I doubt that somehow."

The sad look disappeared from Lucius's eyes.  "Of course I wasn't.  My son turned me in and I feel no shame over the issue."  He tilted his chin up to emphasize that fact.

"Really?" Harry said, leaning in with actual interest.  "I thought one would be upset about their only son turning them over to the authorities for a life time sentence in Azkaban."

"That's because you're close-minded," Malfoy said with a smile.  "You forget that I'm a Slytherin and would be proud of my son showing his true ambition.  Him putting me away shows that he won't be bothered with silly things such as blood relations to become who he wants to be."

Harry stared at him, a confused expression on his face.

"I forget, you're also simple minded.  Draco has had a bad record.  It was no secret, even before I got put in this hell, just what kind of family the Malfoy's were.  And Draco was just another Malfoy.  Until he put me in Azkaban.  After that, the magical community could see him differently.  And he could go wherever he wants to go.  He could be Minister of Magic in a few years.  With the power that he creates, he could do anything."

And this idea scared Harry Potter.  As he left the prison, all he could think of was the man that Lucius Malfoy had described.  And the fact that he would soon be marrying Harry's best friend.

-s-c-e-n-e-0-c-h-a-n-g-e-

Upon apparating to the front lawn, Draco knocked on the door immediately with a bit of urgency.  The door swung open and there stood George.

It seemed the Weasley brothers were never happy to see him.  They all put up with him for Ginny's sake, but they always seemed to make him feel like a mere annoyance, almost like an old relative that none of them liked, but had to put up with just the same.

Yet, somehow, George looked different this time as he opened the door.  "Well, it's about bloody time!" he exclaimed loudly.  "She's been held up in her room for an hour, she won't let any of us in."

"Were I to chose between putting up with you and locking myself in a room I know what I'd pick," Draco commented coming through the door.  The house was surprisingly empty, especially considering that all the Weasley's were in town.  "Where is everyone?"

"Outside."  George seemed rather irritated.  "Can you just go upstairs, tell Ginny that he's a prat and that she should get the hell over him?"

"No problem.  I'm sure that wording is exactly what she wants to hear."  Draco, however, made his way up the stairs and to Ginny's room.  He silently tried to open it, but it was locked.  He knocked.

"I said go away!" Ginny's teary voice from within said.

"Ginny,"  he called gently.  "It's me."  He waited another moment and then tried the lock again, it was open.  Ginny was sitting on her bed, her back against the pillows at the head.  The wand that she had previously held toward the door to unlock it was, then, dropped carelessly dropped upon her nightstand.  Her face was read with tear streaks, though her eyes were dry now.

Ginny watched Draco enter with slight suspicion.  She was positive her brothers had sent him to talk to her about Harry and cheer her up.  She pulled a out a pillow and hugged it to her chest, ready for his speech about how awful Harry was for leaving her and how she shouldn't care.  But she didn't want to hear it.  She did care.

"You know what I just realized?" Draco asked flopping down on the bed beside her.

"What?" she asked, bracing herself for the lecture.

"I haven't had a bachelor party," he said in mock seriousness.

Ginny giggled.  A wave of relief coming over her.  "That's probably because you don't know any bachelors that you get on with."

"Yeah," he said thoughtfully.  "Why do you suppose that is?"

Ginny playfully hit him on the head with a pillow.  "Maybe because you're an absolute prick?"

"Maybe.  Still the same I want a bachelor's party.  And who better for the job that my best man?"

-s-c-e-n-e-0-c-h-a-n-g-e-

"I think you should wear a tux," Draco stated bluntly.

"What?  No, Draco," Ginny said, somewhat taken aback.

"I have to wear one," he pointed out.

"But… But that's because you're a guy!  Tuxedos are for men, I am not a man."

"But, Ginny," he complained.  "You're my Best Man!"

"Draco," Ginny said, sternly.  "I am not wearing a tux."

"Fine," Draco replied, pouting like a little girl.  "But then you'll have to wear blue."

Ginny sighed in resignation.  "Fair enough," she said throwing her hands in the air.  They were both seated at a table in Three Broomsticks engaging in a pre-marriage butterbeer. "I still can't believe you made me your best man," Ginny mumbled.

Draco smiled.  "Hey, who else would be?"

"Goyle?" Ginny offered with a shrug.

"Goyle?  No.  He's much too… he'd lose the ring, let's just leave it at that," Draco said, shaking his head.

"Well, what about Ron?"

He raised an eyebrow.  "You're kidding."

"Yeah, I am.  Never mind, forget I said anything.  I am the only reasonable choice for Best Man."

"Indeed, you are.  Bizarre twist of fate, if I do say so myself.  Who would have pictured this after looking at us in Hogwarts?  I never would have dreamed that you'd be my Best Man.  Nor would I have dreamed that I would marry Hermione."

A distant smile passed over Ginny's face.  "I remember imagining my wedding in Hogwarts."

"And who was the groom," Draco asked, a flirty smile on his face, as he leaned in.

Ginny looked down, suddenly sad.  "You had to ask?"

"Oh, him."  Draco lost all trace of playfulness and took a sip of his butterbeer.  "You know, Ginny, he really isn't worth it."

"I know," Ginny said quietly.  "I can't help it.  I just… I'm not sure.  I don't even know where this is going.  It's just that, to me, he' s the only _real_ guy, you know?  Only person I could think of in a romantic sense.  I mean, I tried to move on.  Really, I did.  It just never worked."

Draco placed a hand over hers.  "Well, let me propose something here."  He put on a very serious face.  "In two years, if you still haven't found anyone, I'll leave Hermione and marry you."

Ginny burst out laughing.  "Oh, God, Draco," she said through the peals escaping her throat.  "For Merlin's sake, don't say incredibly ridiculous things like that without giving me warning, alright?"

Draco, who was laughing himself, nodded in agreement.  "Sorry, I couldn't help myself."

As their laughter slowly faded, Ginny thought about the first time she had seen Harry since he left.  Walking out of the Rehearsal Dinner to see him standing there, looking almost exactly the same.  For a moment, she hadn't been sure that she wasn't dreaming, but then he had spoken; he had said her name.  She wasn't sure exactly what he said after that, because she was distracted by the _way_ he said her name.  At Hogwarts, it was always tender, never desperate.  The way he had spit it out, as if he was trying to say it as fast as possible... that was when she decided she had to leave.  That was when she realized that things could never quite be the same as they had been.

"Hey," Draco said quietly.  "Seriously, you shouldn't let him get to you."

"I know," Ginny replied softly.  "I know."  But she really knew that Harry Potter would always be able to get to her.  Always.

A/N: I said you'd get story and look at all that story.  Eight pages of story, my god.  Okay, reviews will be accepted.  And, if you really want to tell us why Draco Malfoy will never be redeemed, go ahead.  We'll just bitch about it in the next chapter.  We'll get over it though.  Cuz, really, we do like reviews.


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: It's been forever. Sorry about that. Wish we could say it was because of some horrible tragedy, but we 're just very lazy people. Our apologies. Hope you enjoy this.

Disclaimer: We own nothing and no one. However, we don't own anything else. It might take you a minute to get that. In fact, you might not get that at all. It might be one of those things that makes sense only to me. I'm gonna stop blabbering now.

Chapter 7

_Following Harry was not as difficult as I thought it would be. He wasn't noticing much of anything, it seemed. He was just running._

_I wondered what Lucius Malfoy had said to him that made him run like that. Maybe someone was in danger and Harry had to go save him. Maybe Lucius had kidnapped someone and left them somewhere._

_But in Muggle London? That was when I started to doubt the "Harry's just being a hero" theory. He had slowed his run to a very fast walk by now, as not to look suspicious, I'm sure._

_However, his appearance was suspicious in itself. He was covered in mud and his hair was acting up a bit more then usual. He was looking at everyone who passed him as if they were about to attack him. His wand was still in his hand, a sight not usually seen in London._

_But he made it to the first hotel he came upon without incident. No one said anything to him or made to stop him. And he looked relieved. Well, I'm sure he was. I couldn't really see his face from my position behind him._

_He checked into the hotel quickly. I thought that the worker might be suspicious, but he didn't seem to care much._

_I followed Harry up the stair, keeping about a flight behind him at all times. I'm glad he didn't want to take the strange box thing that transported people. It looked frightening._

_I heard a door open and quickly sprinted up the stairs just in time to see the a door with the number five close. I listened and didn't hear Harry anymore. I opened the door and looked down the hallway. I actually saw a foot go into a room about two doors down from the stair well before the door closed._

_Well, now what? I wasn't so sure about his motives anymore. He didn't seem like he was rescuing someone, even like he was acting in a panic. In fact, he seemed pretty calm and rational. I didn't want to knock. Why would he answer?_

_And then I got it. "Housekeeping," I said, disguising my voice and knocking loudly on the door._

_Sure enough, the door swung open and Harry was looking at me. "Ron?"_

_"It really hasn't been that long," I told him, pushing past him into the room. Sometimes my height does have an advantage. "You shouldn't be forgetting my name already."_

_"Get out," Harry said angrily. I however, merely threw myself back onto his bed. Muggle hotels actually look pretty nice._

_"Why? What's going on Harry?"_

_"Nothing, Ron. I just want to be alone." He said this, but he wouldn't look at me while he said it._

_"Bull. Harry, are you in danger? Is He not dead yet? Is he coming for you? Because hiding won't do anything to help," I tried, though I was beginning to doubt it._

_"No. I killed Voldemort."_

_I still felt ill-at-ease when he said that name, but I had learned not to react. No flinching, no shuddering. And then it hit me what he was saying. "He's dead?"_

_"Yes," Harry said, still not meeting my eyes. Instead he went over to a small box and began to pour himself a drink._

_"Harry!" I shouted, sitting up. "Do you know what this means? You don't have to worry about him anymore! You can have a normal life! Take your NEWTS! Get a job! Heck, marry Ginny! You don't have to worry about dying anymore." I was ecstatic. This was excellent. Amazing._

_"Don't be ridiculous, Ron. Nothing's changed." He didn't look up from his drink_

_I stood up. "Everything's changed, Harry! Won't you listen?"_

_"NO, RON!" Well, at least he put the drink down. However, he did this by throwing it as hard as he could at the wall. "Why won't you listen? Voldemort may be gone, but Death Eaters are still out there! They'll come after everyone close to me! NO ONE IS SAFE!" He reached into his pocket and pulled out a bag of floo powder. "All I can do is leave. I don't need to do this anymore." He pulled out his wand and tossed it to me. "I don't need to be a wizard."_

_"So, that's it then?" I said feeling the wand in my hand, trying to grasp what he was saying. " You're just going to leave."_

_"You don't understand, Ron," Harry said, his voice reaching normal decibels now. "I'm just afraid for you."_

_"No, Harry," I said, nearly whispering. I finally figured this all out. "You're afraid for yourself."_

_And without another word he through his floo powder into the fire and went to the Dursley's._

_And I didn't want to go after him._

s-c-e-n-e-0-c-h-a-n-g-e

Harry left Azkaban quickly his conversation with Lucius still spinning in his head. Every memory of Draco coming forward. Wondering why he never saw it coming, that Draco would do all this for power. And thinking that he had to find Hermione and make her listen to him. Finally he reached her apartment.

"Hermione?" Harry called as he entered, with the key she had leant him. "Are you here?"

"No, she's not," answered Ron's voice from the kitchen. Harry curiously made his way to the kitchen to find Ron sitting at the table with a steaming mug in hand.

"What are you doing here?" he asked Ron.

Ron smiled a held up the mug. "I was down the street and had the desperate need for coffee. Hermione says I can come here whenever I like, and coffee is free here, so..."

Harry grinned. "At least some things are the same."

"And some things aren't," Ron said, still smiling, taking a seat at the kitchen table. "You just have to deal with them."

"I feel like that might have been a hurtful remark towards me," Harry said, feeling as if his friends smile was a little too wide.

"I wonder where you got that idea," Ron answered, the grin not leaving his face.

"We need to talk, don't we?" Harry asked, giving up hope that this talk would never have to come.

"Well, since you suggested it." Ron's face finally fell into a firm frown. "I'm still not sure I like you."

Harry nodded. "That would come along with hating me for years, wouldn't it?"

"It might have." Ron sat down, sipping his coffee. "Have a seat. Unless, you need to be somewhere..."

"No. I don't have to be anywhere," Harry said, he then took a wild guess about what Ron wished to talk about. "Listen, that day I left-"

"I don't need you to talk, Harry," Ron interrupted. "I think you need to listen for once."

"That's all I've been doing lately," Harry responded.

"But not to me," Ron said, his voice still cool.

"And what will you tell me that I haven't heard before? About Charlie, Ginny-"

"About me, Harry. You keep forgetting about me. Charlie and Ginny weren't the only people that you hurt. When you left, you hurt everyone, turned their worlds upside down. They could have blamed you and they did for the most part. But they also blamed me." Ron's voice finally betrayed some emotion. However the emotion was hate and anger, not what Harry wanted to hear at all.

"You?" Harry couldn't register what he was being told. Why would anyone blame Ron?

"I'm the one who saw you last, remember? If I had only been more convincing, or stronger, or more powerful, I could have kept you there. They all thought this. They didn't tell me, but I know they did." His voice wavered.

Harry hadn't pitied Ron. He had thought that Ron would have become stronger while Harry was away. Ron would have grown, become more independent, finally been seen as his own person. Harry had told himself this for years, whenever he felt bad about leaving. He had never thought...

"I just thought you should know that," Ron continued. "While you're trying to become accepted again, think of the hell you put me through for the past seven years."

"Not to sound like an eight-year-old, but we are still friends right?" Harry asked with trepidation. He knew he sounded stupid, but didn't care too much.

Ron sighed. "I don't know. It's a very conflicting issue. Sometimes, I'd rather not see you ever again. Other times... I don't know."

"Is there anything I can do?" Harry tried.

Ron smirked "Apologize?" he said with a shrug.

"I've done that," Harry said, exasperated.

"Yeah, but really this time. Not as if you feel like you have to, but because you actually feel sorry for the hell you put all of us through," Ron snapped.

"I do," Harry said quickly. "I mean, I am sorry. I had no idea what-"

"And if you did, Harry," Ron cut in. "If you knew all that you know now, would you still have left?"

Harry knew the right answer. He knew that he should say he wouldn't have left. But what about his career? He had helped people in the past seven years, people who would have died without him. What about them? Didn't they matter? Weren't their lives just as important as the lives of his friends? "Ron," he sighed.

"Harry," Ron responded, warningly.

"It's just that… when I was a kid, I was nobody. Just a regular person. I became a wizard, and that all changed. It was getting to my head, I know you noticed. I needed time to-"

"Bullocks, Harry!" Ron shouted, losing his cool. He then sighed, and placed his coffee cup on the table. He stood up, straightening his robes. "Find me when you can figure everything out." Ron apparated away, leaving Harry alone in a worse state of mind than he had been earlier.

His best friend was angry with him, and had a right to be. After all, Harry had just left him to deal with everything. His old girlfriend had been anorexic, and that was his fault as well. Finally, his other best friend was marrying a Death Eater.

That was what Lucius had said, anyways. Believing his worst enemy might not have been the smartest thing to do, but for some reason he did. He felt it in his gut that Malfoy may not have changed as much as everyone had suspected. Being a police officer for the past five years had taught him to trust his gut.

_Speaking of being a police officer_, Harry thought as his cell phone went off. He knew who it was; didn't even have to look at the caller ID. Harry answered, saying "Good afternoon, Lieutenant Jones."

"Don't be cute with me, Potter," his boss growled over the crackle of static over the cell phone. "I have so many reporters on my back about the Abbot Case, I don't know what to do with them. What have you learned about the case, so far?"

"Er..." Harry had quite forgotten about the case he had been working on. "Well, I still suspect a British Mob," he said cautiously.

"Potter," Jones said slowly, "you should know that I gave you a week. It's been two days. And you know the same amount you did before you left. Is that accurate?"

"Yes, sir," Harry sighed.

"Alright. I know you're friend is getting married, but that's not an excuse that's going to fly with this girls parents. Hannah Abbot was murdered with out any marks on her at all. Her family is a wreck and the reporters sense that we're not giving this all of our attention. So get on this, damn it!"

But Harry had stopped listening. "Did you say Hannah Abbot?" He knew that name.

"Potter, please tell me you knew the name of the girl who was killed in the case you were investigating." Jones sounded absolutely livid, but Harry didn't care. Something had clicked. And it wasn't a good click.

"I'll call you back tomorrow," Harry muttered and turned off his phone.

_Hannah Abbot,_ he thought to himself, trying to conjure up a mental image. Nothing was coming to mind, but he knew he knew her. She had to have been a Hogwarts student.

A knock came from the front door, interrupting Harry's pondering. Seeing as he was the only one in the apartment, he figured he might as well answer the door. _Probably the mailman_, he figured.

It wasn't. It was, none other, than Seamus Finnegan. "Harry!" he said, throwing out his arms. "It's been forever! How've you been?"

Harry didn't think it tactful to tell him he had seen him the night before. After all, Seamus had been extremely drunk at the time. "Fine. How are you?"

"Wonderful! Just here to drop of a present for the soon to be Mrs. Malfoy." Harry tried not to shudder at the concept. Seamus didn't seem to notice, however. "Where is she, by the way?"

Harry shrugged. "I have no idea. I was looking for her myself."

"Well, if you see her, " Seamus continued, "give her this for me." He thrust a small brown package into Harry's arms. "Tell her who it's from and all that. I'll see you at the wedding tomorrow, Harry." Seamus turned and started to head down the hallway.

"Hey, wait!" Harry said, suddenly having an idea. Seamus stopped and looked back at him. "Do you remember Hannah Abbot?" Harry asked.

"Blonde girl," Seamus told him. "Hufflepuff, friends with Ernie and Justin. She wore her hair in pigtails until fourth year. Then she started dating. She went out with Terry Boot for about a year, then Michael Corner, but that didn't last long at all. She dated Dean right after Ginny dumped him. That's when people started calling her "Rebound Hannah," which was not a clever nickname at all. She started dating this Buexbuton bloke, named... Johnny Richard, I think. Anyway, after she graduated she moved away with him and I haven't heard from her since."

Harry remembered her now. Not most of that stuff about who she was dating, but he remembered her gossiping with Ernie about Harry in second year. "How'd you remember all that?" Harry asked, somewhat impressed.

"I just do. Gotta run though. Catch you later." And he scampered off down the hallway. Harry now knew what he had to do today. No use finding Hermione now, he had a murder to solve.

A/N: Another very long chapter. Well, long for us, anyways. Bet you all forgot about that murder thing, didn't you? Well, it's back! And it might actually be important.

Um... we kind of redid chapter 1. If you are an extremely bored person, you might want to go read it and see what we did. It's not like, crucial or anything. But if you are a good friend of ours... like Molly... you could read it and tell us if its more confusing or less so. Thanks.


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